Carol's Travels

We left our hotel at 7:00 A.M. to catch a train. Outside the train station we passed a lot of beggars who had lost arms and legs. We saw a man with grotesque feet caused by elephantitis. Even though the government will supply money to these handicapped people, they continue to beg for money from the tourists. I found it very difficult seeing these street people and imagining the pain they must be going through.

The train arrived on time, and we quickly boarded it with our carry-on luggage. Porters put our large bags on the train in a separate car. I enjoyed watching the scenery from my window seat. 

We disembarked the train 2 1/2 hours later at Jhansi.  We ate lunch at a hotel dining room which was fairly close to the train station.  Then we began our 5-hour bus ride to Khajuraho. Hugo, one of our fellow travelers, had arranged for me to give him a ventriloquism lesson on the bus today, so I taught him the basic sound substitutions. Now he has to practice using his new skill.

Our lunch stop was at the beginning of the drive at a hotel.  I really like riding the bus through the countryside and seeing the scenery and local people.  As we went along, we stopped a few times as Ranvir pointed out unusual things to us. Some of the houses had cow patty roofs. There were some gypsies camped beside the road. A couple of us got off the bus to walk into a field where a family was making clay bricks.  

We finally reached our destination and checked into the hotel. We ate a buffet dinner at the hotel.

Agra Fort and palace was the seat of power for four generations of Mughal emperors. They ruled northern India from early in the sixteenth century until the early 1800’s when the British ruled. The shah and his harem lived here.

Then we visited the Marble Art Palace. Here we saw artists chiseling intricate designs on round slabs of marble. Some were cutting gemstones that would fit into the chiseled designs. This technique was used on the walls of the Taj Mahal, and the process is becoming a lost art. 

 After the demonstration, we went into the showroom where we we could see various sizes and shapes of marble products all over the room. We were very impressed and made a purchase.
Some of us went to Sheros’ Hangout, a small cafe run by victims of acid attacks. We saw a short film about the women who had been victims of acid attacks. We could order food and talk with some of the victims. The experience was heart wrenching.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a large store that could be called an Indian equivalent of Walmart. When walking there we stopped at a pharmacy and passed numerous fruit and vegetable vendors. A couple of cows were lying in the parking lot surrounded by motorcycles.
Later we went to our Ranvir’s room to sample some Indian rum. Then we had dinner in a hotel hotel dining room.

We went to breakfast in the opulent hotel dining room at 5:15 this morning because we had to catch an early train. I had not previously taken any pictures of this room, so I made sure that I accomplished this task.  
Everyone in our group was ready to go to the station on time. We didn’t have to wait too long before the train arrived. After the train stopped, we had about five minutes to board the train before it started moving again. We rode in a first class car which left much to be desired. The windows were dirty and condensation had accumulated between two layers of glass. After riding 2 1/2 hours we got off the train near Agra. Our bus was there to pick us up and take us to Agra.
We checked into our hotel, then ate a tasty buffet lunch at one of the hotel dining rooms. I didn’t have to eat any Indian food either! Then the bus took us to the Taj Mahal.  

Our city guide told us the history of the Taj as we looked out over the grounds. Then we walked toward the building. It was especially busy today because it was going to be closed tomorrow.  It is always closed on Friday. We didn’t have to stand in the extremely long line. It took a while to get through the door because there were so many people crowding to enter. Finally we succeeded in entering, and it became less chaotic. We walked around the tombs of the shah who built it to honor his deceased wife. 

The building has beautiful flower designs on the outside walls.  Precious stones have been cut into the shape of flower petals and inset into the outside walls.

 When we got inside, we had more room to walk. It was difficult to see the raised tombs of the Shah Jahan and his wife because there was a perforated wall around the tombs. We could see them well as we completed circling around because there was a large open space.

We had some time to explore the grounds on our own. I enjoyed sitting and watching the Taj as the sun got lower in the sky. Then we drove back to the hotel.